Reverse plating knitting machine and method



y 1940- R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,208,308

REVERSE PLATING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 4, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1.

July 16, 1940.

R. H. LAWSON ET AL REVERSE PLATING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed larch 4, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 f/YVENTWES ROBRTHZAWJ04I ARTHUR/{Mama y 6, 1940. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,208,308

REVERSE PLATING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 4, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 y 6, 1940. R. H. LAWSON El AL 2,208,308

REVERSE PLATING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 4, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 F1 G. 6. F1 G. 7.

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July 16, 1940. R. H. LAWSON ET AL REVERSE PLATING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 4, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 [/YVEA/JWRS: 1805527164 ZAWJOM JRMHEAZLLMHER y 07 A 7'7" y."

.Hully 16, 346.. R. H. LAWSON ET AL REVERSE PLATING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 4, 1936 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Mfr 511170125: JWBERYAIMWJM I TIME/I162 002754 y 1940. R. LAWSON ET AL 2,208,308

REVERSE PLATING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 4, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 .9

y 6, 1940. R. H. LAWSON ET AL ,308

REVERSE PLATING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD jPYI EWZWBS: EOBERZH [AM 190M 272 021? 620071522 Patented July 16, 1940 PATENT OFFICE REVERSE PLATING KNITHNG MACHINE AND LIETHOD Robert H. Lawson,

Cloutier, Lonsdale, B. 1., ass

Pawtucket, and Arthur N.

ignore to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, It. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March In Ca 4', 1936, Serial No. 67,100

nada March I, 1935 15 Claims.

This case deals with certain improvements in selecting devices for selecting jacks, needles, sinkers or pressers in which a certain number of so-called steps have been provided such as by butts which are removable by breaking; cutting, etc. According to this invention it is possible to double the number of steps provided by jacks or other instrumentalities having a fixed maximum number of butts. The invention has been illustrated with respect to jacks adapted to control sinkers for the purpose of reverse plating, making drop stitches or similar types of work. The reverse plating is produced by controlling sinkers in such a manner that where the loops are to be reversed at particular wales, the appropriate sinkers are pushed in at an earlier stage than usual so that the loops are actually drawn over the backs of the nibs on said sinkers.

For illustrating this principle and the mech-' 2o anism for carrying out the same, British Patent 344,486 and Canadian Patent 318,496 are cited. In these patents the mechanism for controlling sinkers to reverse plate, which might incidentally be used to control sinkers for other purposes or to control any of the common knitting instrumentalities, has been adapted to function upon jacks which have 12 separate butts any one or plurality of which may be removed such as by breaking or cutting. This has been known as a l2-step selecting mechanism and it is the purpose of the device herein disclosed and claimed to provide 24 steps of selection without using jacks (or other instrumentalities) which have any more than 12 separate butts.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing enough of a typical hosiery machine employing the invention of the present case to properly associate and identify the invention therewith;

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sinker and jack assemb y, a portion of the sinker cap being cut away for the purpose of showing cams which function upon the sinkers and also those which act upon sinker jacks;

Fig. 4 is a view showing in elevation certain of the jack cams which have been illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the horizontal pathway of jacks as they pass through the machine for selection and subsequent operation of sinkers;

Figs. 6 through 12 are sectional views showing a portion of the cylinder. sinker head and cap and a sinker and its jack in various positions incidental to selection or non-selection or the same;

Fig. 13 is an elevation showing a form of plain sole attachment and its application to the machine described in reference to Figs. 1-12;

Fig. 14 is a plan view showing the plunger controlling elements of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken through the two lower plungers of Fig. 14 and looking toward the center of the machine; 10

Fig. 16 is an elevation showing operating conmotions for a second device for assisting in the production of a plain sole with patterned instep;

Fig. 17 is a corresponding view showing the mechanism which is located above the top 01' 15 Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a plan view of the mechanism which is associated with the selecting plungers for producing this plain sole;

Fig. 19 is a section taken on line X-X, Fig. 18; 20 and Fig. 20 is a section taken on line YY, Fig. 18.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the mechanism employed to select butts on jacks has been illustrated and consists in general of a pair of pat- 25 tern drums and two series of superposed selecting plungers, one series being employed with each pattern drum for transmitting selections according to the arrangement of butts upon said drum to the appropriate jacks or other knitting 30 instrumentalities. Since the pattern drums themselves are practically duplicates of the single drum shown in the British patent and corresponding Canadian patent which have been cited, we will not attempt to explain in detail just 35 how these mechanisms are constructed and the detailed manner in which they function. A} full disclosure is available in the patents and it is considered suflicient to refer to the same for purposes of disclosure in this case. The ma- 4 chine has a circular base I, frame 2 and a needle cylinder 3 having independently slidable latch needles working therein. It is within the scope of the invention to employ a needle cylinder of the stationary type in which case the parts which 45 are now relatively stationary would be. rotated about said cylinder, and it is also possible to employ spring beard needles in which case suitable pressers such as are common in the art might be employed. The machine has the usual 50 latch ring 4, cam plate 5 with a complement of needle operating cams associated therewith all of which are standard equipment and form no important part of the present invention. A sinker head 6 is mounted for rotation with said cylinder in operative position plate 7 against a suitable stop l-by means of a spring l6.

and also other cams for the operating of the jacks has been. mounted upon said sinker head as more fully disclosed in the patents which have been cited.

According to the invention certain of the jacks are to be provided with short butts while others are to have long'butts. By means of the two lengths of butts in combination with a par-, ticular arrangement of selecting plungers anda particular pathway through which the selected jacks are forced to travel, it is possible to double the number of pattern possibilities which were provided in the machine which employed one pattern drum and worked upon jacks having an equal number of butts wherein those butts were 5 of the same. length. Two pattern drums 8 and 9 have been mounted to rotate about spindles Ill and II which are fixed within plate l2 which is in turn capable of being swung about a pivot point on the circular base of the machine. An arm l3 extends from said plate and by means of a connecting link I4 which is pivoted to the free end of said arm it .is possible to swing said plate and also the pattern drums adapted to rotate thereon away from the cylinder of themachine to an inoperative position. The link l4 may be connected to any suitable part of the machine which will function tomove it at the desired times, but it is preferable to control said link, plate l2, etc., by means o'foperation from a pattern drum on the main cam shaft as disclosed in the applicants previous patent. When I2 is maintained Pattern drum 8 has a ratchet wheel I! fast to the spindle thereof which is ratcheted around at the proper time by means of a pawl l8 pivoted at I9 upon a plate 20 which is free to be oscillated about spindle ID. This plate 20 has an extending arm 2| at the end of which has been connected 2. link 22. Link 22 may be oper-,

ated by a suitable lever such as the. lever 15, Fig. 1, shown in the British Patent 344,486. Pattern drum 8 is usually ratcheted by means of pawl 18 engaging one notch at a time of the ratchet wheel l1, when this is the case a hook 23 engages with a pin 24 to limit the amount of oscillation given to plate 20. In the event that it is desired to ratchet said drum a greater number of notches for each movement of pawl I8,

book 23is removed from engagement with pin 24 as bell crank lever 25 swings about pivot 26 against the tension of a spring 21 to disengage said hook. An extra pattern disc has been placed below the 12 discs which are to select plungers, and butts may be arranged upon this extra disc to engage the toe 28 on lever 25 at such times as this added movement is desired. Pawl I8 may be removed from engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel l1 against the tension of spring 29 by means of lever 30 and other associated mechanism in a manner that has been described in the patents cited and which will not be mentioned further in this case.

Pattern drum 9 is in most respects a duplicate of drum 8 except that it has a collar 3| at the base thereof to replace ratchet wheel l1 and plate 20 which parts are only necessary for operation of the first drum. Each drum has a spur gear 32 attached to the spindle thereof and said gears mesh with an idler gear 33 rotatable upon a spindle 34. It may thus be seen that as drum 8 is ratcheted about its spindle I0 gear. 32 will drive pattern drum 9 by means of idler gear 33 2,208,308 and a sinker cap 1 carrying suitable sinker cams and a second gear 32. Each of the drums has a series of 12 removable annular plates which are clamped thereto for the purpose of selecting plungers at the appropriate times. Each plate is mounted on a level with a corresponding plunger and has 48 butts thereon any number of which may be broken away as desired. The 12 plates ondiscs and the 48 butts per disc are merely arbitrary numbers of the same which have been employed in the particular machine which we have illustrated in this case. It is to be understood that we are not limited to any particular number of discs per pattern drum or number of butts per disc, but for any fixed number of discs employed the invention makes it possible to realize twice as many possibilities of selection.

Each of the pattern drums has a series of stop 39 limits the outward movement of each plunger and springs 40 and 4| are attached to the plunger or extensions thereof and also to pins fixed in element 31 to maintain each plunger outwardly against the pattern drum. Alternate springs are of diiferent lengths and are arranged in staggered relationship for purposes of avoiding interference between the same. The inner ends of plungers have been beveled oif at a suit able angle sothat jack butts will pass freely by them.

According to the present embodiment of the invention these two sets of plungers are separately selected by their respective pattern drums and in turn, convey that selection to the jacks if the jackshave butts on a common level with plungers which have been pushed inwardly. At

the first selecting zone, that opposite pattern drum 9, all jacks are pushed inwardly by a selected plunger if they have butts opposite that plunger. If the jack happened to have a long butt and is selected, it ispushed in to such an extent that it escapes contact with a lowering or sinking cam while jacks which have short butts are pushed downwardly by this lowering cam to pass along at a low level. At a second lowering cam the long butt jacks which were selected are moved out and are sunk as they pass under that cam. Immediately thereafter these long butt jacks are again selected by plungers which are opposite drum 8 and this selection finally determines whether the long butt jacks will function to operate the corresponding sinkers to reverse plate or not. After both short and long butt jacks have been selected they are engaged by a cam which controls them to push their sinkers t in so that loops will be drawn over the backs of the nibs in a manner very similar to that of the previous case which issued into the patent which has been cited. It can be seen that this method of selecting jacks or other instrumentalities 'for reverse plating or like purposes employs the principle of first selecting jacks having two lengths of butts, then returning the long butt jacks to a position for being selected again. It is possible by proper placement of long and short butt jacks in the machine to eifect the same results as far as possibilities of forming intricate patterns are concerned as would be effected if each jack were sinker head large enough to accommodate jacks having twice the number of butts would be so bulky as to be a practical failure it can be seen that the invention is a marked improvement over what has been done previously.

Referring to Figs. 3-12 the exact principle of operation will be described. In Fig. 3 the plungers 35 and 35 are shown in position to select certain jacks which pass by them, the plunger 35', in its selected, forward position, being farther advanced or nearer the center of the needle cylinder than the plunger 35, all as illustrated in Fig. 3. Cams 42 and 43 have been illustrated in the proper positions to sink the jacks, cam 42 being for the purpose of sinking short butt jacks and long butt jacks which were not selected, while cam 43 sinks the long butt jacks which were selected by plungers 35' and were again projected outwardly by cam 44. Plunger 35' is shown selecting a short butt jack 45 which is about to pass under cam 42 and be sunk as a butt 46 on the upper edge of said jack rides under cam 42. The jack ahead of jack 45 designated at 41 is a long butt jack and has been pushed radially inward by the plunger, but since it is a long butt jack, the butt 46 thereon does not contact with cam 42 being pushed in too far to do so, and thus the jack rides along at the same elevation, see Fig. 5. Short butt jacks which have been selected and sunk at this first zone have been finally determined for reverse plating.

The jack 4'! will have its butt 46 engaged by cam 44 immediately after passing by the cam 42 and will be moved outwardly to the same relative position which it occupied prior to the first selection. These long butt jacks will then be sunk by cam 43 as they pass under that cam along with the long butt and short butt jacks' which were not selected at the first zone, and will be selected by one of the plungers 35 in case there is a butt on said long butt jacks at the same elevation as one of the plungers 35 which has been pushed inwardly by drum 8. After this selection all of the jacks are riding along at a lower level as illustrated in Figs. 5, 7 and 10. They are being supported at their outer ends by cam 43 which provides for raising all of these jacks so that butts 46 on those jacks which have been selected will be engaged on the inner cam surface of a cam generally indicated at 49, while all of the remaining jacks, those which have not been selected for reverse plating, will be again sunk as they pass under the lower surface of cam 49 as illustrated in Fig. 5. They will be raised by a cam 59 immediately after they have passed the cam 49.

Sinkers will be guided in a normal path by means of cams 5|, 52 and 53, but in the event that a sinker is to reverse plate, its jack having been selected will be guided by cam 49 so that the butt 46 on that selected jack will be pushed inwardly at a portion 49' of the cam 49 and the shoulder 55 on the jack will engage the stem of the sinker and push that sinker inwardly prior to the time when the stitch is drawn so that it will be drawn over the nib of the sinker as previously explained.

After these sinkers have been pushed in to reverse plate according to selection of jacks having either short or long butts left on them in a position to be engaged by plungers, the same sinkers will be controlled by the usual sinker cam 53. The jacks which were active to push such sinkers inwardly for reverse plating will follow along the outer edge of cam 53 and will be returned to a position in which they will pass along in approximately the same pathway in which idle jacks are traveling. A cam 54 will return these jacks to an intermediate position which they occupy as they pass around the machine prior to engaging another cam 54' before they are prepared for selection by a cam 55 which is a portion of a long cam of which cam 44 forms a part. A butt 51, Fig. 6 engages with a concentric cam surface 58 which prevents said jacks from being thrown outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force when not engaged by other cams. All jacks which were not selected at either point of selection merely pass under cams 42, 43 and then upwardly at cam 48 but are again sunk by cam 49 so that they change their elevation as they move about the machine but are at no time projected inwardly except in the case of long butt jacks which may be moved inwardly by one of the plungers 35' for a false selection since the same jack will be immediately moved outwardly again by cam 44 and can not cause its sinker to reverse plate unless selected by one of the plungers 35. It may thus be seen that we may select any short butt jack which we desire by the plungers 35, while selection of long butt jacks is delayed until plungers 35 are reached and it is possible at that point to select any long butt jack which might be desired.

Figs. 65-12 show the relative positions of jacks and sinkers throughout the various stages of their selection. Fig. 6 shows the selection by a plunger 35' of a jack having short butts in which event, the preceding jack which is shown behind the short butt jacks has also been pushed inwardly but will be moved outwardly by means of a cam 44 as shown in Fig. 8. In Fig. 7 the same short butt jack is shown being sunk by cam 42 while the butt on the long butt jack preceding does not contact cam 42 and passes along at an elevation as illustrated in Fig. 5 until it is to be sunk by means of cam 43, Figs. 5 and 9. The first selection, that is, the short butt selection, was made when jacks were following in the upper pathway whereas, the second selection, next to be described, occurs after all jacks have been sunk by either cam 42 or 43. As shown in Fig. 10, a plunger 35 engages a butt on one of the long butt jacks if there happens to be a long butt opposite that plunger. The cam 48 will raise all jacks to an elevation as shown in Fig. 11 and those jacks which have been determined for reverse plating will have their butts 46 engaged on the inner side of cam 49 so that they will be pushed inwardly at the proper time. All other jacks will merely strike the end of cam 49 and will be sunk thereby to pass idly about the machine. In Fig. 12 we have illustrated jacks which have some of their butts broken away in which event they can not be selected by a plunger 35 or 35' as the case may be.

It is to be understood that all or practically all jacks would have certain butts broken away and that the showing of Figs. 6-11 wherein jacks have a full complement of butts is merely given for illustration of the principles under which both long and short butt jacks are selected. It is common practice to arrange short and long butt jacks alternately about the sinker head but we do not wish to convey the impression that the invention is in any way dependent upon such an arrangement of jacks since we may employ any set up of jacks which works out best for the particular pattern which it is desired to make. .It may be found necessary to use only a few long butt jacks,

or the number of long butt Jacks relative to short butts may form a great majority of the total number of jacks used. We have described the invention as applied to reverse plating by means of sinkers, however, the principles would apply equally well to selection of sinkers for other purposes or to selection of other knitting instrumentalities for the same or other reasons.

The jack selection Just described may be summarized as follows: The jacks having short selective butts, whenselectively engaged by appropriately positioned cams or plungers 35', are moved forward or toward the axis of the needle cylinder a short distance but not far enough to be beyond the influence of the cam 42 which accordingly depresses or sinks the jacks by engaging their upper butts 46. Continued rotation of the needle cylinder causes the said selected jacks to pass under the cam 43, Fig. 5. Further rotation of the needle cylinder moves the short selected butts past the cams or plungers 35; however, the short selective butts of the selected jacks are so far advanced, in the direction of the needle cylinder, that the cams or plungers 35 have no efiect upon them. Further rotation of the needle cylinder causes the butts 46 of the said sinkers to be engaged and advanced by the cam face of the cam 49, the cam 49' advancing the jacks to such a position as to cause the selected sinkers to be moved forward of the leading point of the cam 53 to effect reverse plating.

The non-selected jacks having short selective butts are sunk by the inclined leading edge of the cam 49, as indicated in Fig. 5.

The jacks having long selective butts are selectively advanced by appropriately positioned cams or plungers 35 to a position beyond the cam 42. Rotation of the needle cylinder causes the butts 46 to be engaged by the cam 44 which moves the said jacks outwardly to a position to be depressed or sunk by the. cam 43. Further rotation of the needle cylinder causes the cams or plungers 35 selectively to advance the jacks having long selecting butts, to such a position that continued rotation of the needle cylinder will cause the inner edge of the cam surface of the cam 49 to engage the butts 46 and advance the jacks and sinkers in the same manner as in the case of the jacks having short selective butts.

The long selective butt jacks, not advanced by cams 35, are depressed by the leading inclined edge of the cam 49, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

Thus jacks having short selective butts are fully selected by the cams 35', whereas the jacks having long selective butts are selectively advanced by the cams 35' which selective advance is nullified by the cam 44 after which the said jacks are finally selected by the cams 35.

The device which has been described relative to Figs. l-12 would pattern a stocking throughout the leg portion and foot portion, and if the leg portion is to be patterned throughout its entire extent, it is also necessary to form the foot with the same pattern extending throughout the circumference thereof. The modifications of the devicewhi'ch are herein shown make it possible to restrict this plating and reverse plating or other ornamentation to the instep of the foot while making the sole without any patterning. For accomplishing this purpose we have provided a separate control properly timed to be brought into operation during the knitting of the foot of the stocking, and which will permanently maintain lower plungers in the separate selecting zones in active position. All the lower which engages a cam 18 butts are left on jacks which cooperate with sinkers producing the sole of the stocking so that in every Wale and course of this portion of the stocking reverse plating will be brought about. In this manner the sole will be formed in one plain and solid color.

Referring to Figs. 13-15, the sets of plungers are designated by numerals 35, 35' and are slid- 40, but otherwise aligning with and engaging projection 60 on one of the lower plungers 35'. A second angular element 61 is attached to this arm 83 and has an upwardly extending projection 68 which engages with the outer free end of a lever 69 pivoted at 10. Another lever H is pivoted at 12 and has a pin 13 fixed therein to engage a slot 14 in the end of lever 69. This upwardly projecting lug I which engages extension 59 on the lower plunger in the group of plungers 35.

A link 16 is connected at its upper end to one arm 64 of the bell crank lever and extends downwardly to connect at its lower end to a lever 11 on cam drum 19 on the main cam shaft of the machine. In operation the lever 11 is maintained upon the cam 18 throughout the knitting of the entire stocking with the exception of the sole and instep, and at that time, falls off said cam so that the upper end of the bellcrank lever is moved to the left in Fig. 13 whereupon both lower plungers are pushed into operative position. The angular piece 65 which engages extension 60 on one of the lower plungers will force that plunger in towards its cylinder and the other element 61 will move levers 69 and H in such a manner that the other plunger 35 will also be pushed inwardly. As has been explained before, the plungers 35' will control selection of short butt jacks and 35 will control long butt jacks. The jacks under sinkers which knit in the sole are all provided with either long or short butts as the case may be at their lower extremity.

It is of course necessary that all bottom butts on the jacks that in effect, 24-step as was machine.

Referring to Figs. 16-20 we have illustrated a modification of the plain sole mechanism or at tachment which is very similar to that shown in Figs. 13-15 but is to be used with the Duplex machine. In this machine two entirely separate the machine will be reduced from the case in Figs. 1-12 to a 22-step stages of selection are employed which may have any suitable number of verse plating or the like is resorted to at separate feeding stations. One series of plungers is illustrated at 80, Fig. 18, and another series at 8|. The lower plungers of each of these sets is to be steps and wherein reused for producing a plain sole and all jacks or lever H has an for instep sinkers be broken off so hold said plungers in outermost position. A

'bracket 88 is attached by suitable connecting means to the supporting frame 81 for the selecting device shown at the right, Fig. 18. A bell crank having a horizontal arm 88 and a vertical arm 88 is pivoted at 88 to the bracket. An extension 8| is attached to a part of the frame 81 and has pivoted at 82 a lever 83 which has a lug 88 engaging with the extension 82 on the lowermost plunger 88. A link 85 is connected at the upper end of arm 88 and also to a pin 86 fast in lever 83. A vertically extending rod 81 connects to arm 88 of the bell crank and projects downwardly to connect to the free end of a lever 88 secured to spindle 88. This spindle 88 is free to rotate in suitable bearings and carries another arm on lever I88 fixed thereto which is to engage with a cam IN on drum I82 fixed to the outer end of the main cam shaft of the machine. Whenever said cam I8I rides under the lever I88 as during the making of the sole portion of the stocking, the connecting levers and links thus far described will move the lower plunger 88 inwardly against the cylinder. So much of this mechanism is necessary for the operation of one of a set of selecting plungers, and if only one set of plungers is to be used, this mechanism described would be all it is necessary to provide upon the machine.

At the other side of the machine the lowermost plunger 8| is to be simultaneously pushed into operative position by plunger 88 during the knitting of the plain sole. A lever I83 is pivoted at a suitable point I84 and at its outer end has a lug I85 for engaging projection 83 on the lower plunger only. A connecting link I88 is also pivoted at point 88 to a lever 83 and extends over to be pivotally attached to the other end I81 of lever I83. In this manner both plungers will be simultaneously moved inwardly for the production of a plain sole while all of the remaining steps of selection will be available for producing ornamental or patterned efi'ects in the instep of the stockings. The patterned work in the instep will be identical with that throughout the leg portion of the stocking and there will be no break in the pattern between leg and instep. While we have described these attachments as operating upon the lower plungers in each set, it is, of course, within the scope of the invention to allow said mechanism to function upon any chosen plunger and the lowermost plungers have been used in the preferred form of the invention since they are more conveniently controlled. While the invention has been described in more or less specific terms and with reference to a particular embodiment of the same, we do not intend to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A method of selecting knitting instrumentalities having butts of different lengths, including the steps of selecting instrumentalities having butts of one length and incidentally falsely selecting certain ones of the instrumentalities having butts of another length at a first stage, then nullifying the selection of said instrumentalities having butts of another length, and thereafter subjecting all instrumentalities having butts of another length to selection at a second stage.

2. A method of selecting knitting instrumentalities for a course of knitting some of which instrumentalities have butts of one length and some of which have butts of another length, including the steps of selecting the instrumentalities having butts of shorter length and also unavoidably imparting selecting movements to those having butts of longer lengths which are disposed in line with the selected butts of shorter length at one stage, then returning only those instrumentalities having longer butts to a non-selected position and thereafter subjecting all instrumentalities with longer butts to a separate and distinct stage of selection.

3. A method of selecting knitting instrumentalities having butts of different lengths, including a first step of selecting those instrumentalities which have butts of one length and at the same time falsely selecting such of the instrumentalities as have butts of another length which butts are in line with selected butts of shorter length, then operating upon said falsely selected instrumentalities to nullify that selection and return them to a position wherein they may pass onward to a second stage of selection at which all instrumentalities having butts of another length will be positively and finally selected according to predetermined pattern requirements.

4. A method of selecting knitting instrumentalities some of which have short butts and some of which have long butts, including the steps of selecting instrumentalities having short butts and at the same time falsely selecting such instrumentalities having long butts which are in alignment with selected short butts, moving said selected short butt instrumentalities to a different pathway from that in which non-selected short butt instrumentalities travel, returning said falsely selected long butt instrumentalities to a nonselected position and also sinking them so that they travel in the same pathway as the selected short butt instrumentalities, then subjecting said long butt instrumentalities to a second and separate stage of selection whereupon instrumen talities having both lengths of butts will have been selected for carrying out their knitting function.

5. A method of selecting jacks which havebutts of difierent lengths, including the steps of pushing jacks inwardly which have butts of one length and incidentally moving jacks inwardly which have butts of another length and which are disposed in line with butts on selected jacks of the first length at one stage of selection, thereafter moving said jacks having butts of another length only back into a pathway with similar jacks which were not incidentally selected at the first stage and thereafter subjecting all of said jacks having butts of another length to a separate and distinct selecting operation.

6. A knitting machine having therein knitting instrumentalities provided with selecting butts of at least two different lengths, selecting elements disposed adjacent said machine and in line with instrumentalities so that when said elements are moved to one position they will contact butts on said instrumentalities for selecting the same, one series of said elements being arranged at a first zone of selection to operate upon instrumentalities having butts of one length and incidentally such instrumentalities having butts of another length which are in alignment with selected butts on instrumentalities having butts the first length, means for returning said incidentally selected instrumentalities to a non-selected position while instrumentalities with butts of one length remain selected, and a second series of elements arranged at a second zone of selection for separately acting upon said instrumentalities which have butts of another or different length.

'7. In a knitting machine a series of lacks some iii of which have short butts and others oil which are provided with long butts, a series oi selecting elements arranged at a first selecting stage for engaging the butts 01' short butt Jacks to project them inwardlyior selection, said elements also projecting such ones of said long butt jacks inwardly as have butts in alignment with active selecting elements, a cam located in the pathway of said jacks for returning long butt jacks only to their original non-selected position and a second series of selecting elements arranged at a second stage for engaging the butts of long butt jacks only whereby they will be projected inwardly to the same extent to which short butt jacks were projected for selecting purposes.

- 8. In a knitting machine a series'of jacks some of which have short butts and others of which have long butts arranged in a predetermined manner about said machine, means for performing independent steps of selection upon butts of each length including means for selecting short butt jacks at one stage, said means also unavoid'- ably selecting some of the long butt jacks, means for cancelling the selection of such long butt jacks only and means for bringing all of the jacks to a common elevation whereupon long butt jacks will be eng ed by selecting elements at a second stage of selection.

9. In a knitting'machine a series of jack like;

instrumentalities some of which have short butts and others of which have long butts arranged about the machine according to predetermined pattern requirements, a series oi! selecting elements arranged adjacent said jack-like instrumentalities and capable of being selectively moved to a position wherein individual elements will engage butts upon said jack-like instrumentalities for moving the same to a selected position, a cam' for sinking said short butt jacks which are selected to this first stage of selection and also long butt jacks which are not selected, an-

other cam for returning such ones of the long birtt jacks as werdselected to a non-selected position and a second sinking cam for sinking these non-selected long butt jacks in combina-- tion with a second series of selecting elements arranged addacent said jack-like instrumentali, ties for engaging the butts of long .butt jacks only whereupon said long butt jacks may 'be subjected to a separate andindividual stage of selection. a,

( 10.= A method of selectingknitting instrumentalities having butts of ,difierent lengths including the steps of selecting butts of one length at a first stage of selection and selecting butts or a second length only at a second stage of selection, some of the butts of second length being unavoidably and falsely selected at the first stage,

and subjecting such ones only of said instru-,- c mentalitie's which were unavoidably selected to a cancellation of that selection whereby all of the lacks of asecond length will be presented for final and independent selection at the second stage,

11'. In a knitting machine having in combination a series of knitting instrumentalities having selecting; butts [thereon and two sets of plungerlike elements capable of being moved into and. away from butt engaging positions, the butts at a common level on one group of the instrumentalities all being maintained intact and corresponding butts on the other group of instrumentalities being removed, a corresponding element'in each set being incapable of selection along with those remaining but having" a pair of interconnected" levers engaging therewith to move them into butt engaging positionand pattern means for causins said levers to function at the proper time.

12. In a knitting machine having in combination a series of knitting instrumentalities divided into two groups, one group having butts thereon at a common level and the other group having no butts thereon at that said'level, two-sets oi plungers acting upon said butts at spaced points engaging position wherein the first lever is operated by means of ments.

13. In a. knitting machine a series of knitting instrumentalities having selecting butts thereon some of which are short butts and others of which are long butts, means at one stage for selecting instrumentalities having short butts and falsely selecting instrumentalities having butts of the longer length, means at a second stage for selecting instrumentalities having butts of the longer length, and in combination therewith, means between the two stagesfor cancelling the selection of those instrumentalities which were falsely selected at'the firststage whereby instrumentalities having butts of the longer length will be subjected'to thesecond stage of selection.

.14. A method of selecting kni-tting instrumentalities, for the knitting oi a course, including selecting for pattern purposes, a plurality of knitting instrument'alitfes, nullifying the selection as connection to pattern eleto some only of the said selected instrumentalities,

15. In a hosiery knitting machine, having a cam drum and a camthereon and a series of knitting instrumentalities having selective butts thereon and a cooperating series of plunger-like elements for engaging the-butts on said instrumentalities whereby a particular pattern will be formed in the knitted fabric, one consecutive group of said instrumentalities pertaining to the double sole portion of a stocking having butts thereon at a level to be engaged by a plunger-like element, the remaining instrumentalities having no butts to be engaged by the said plunger-like element, means connected to the said plunger-like element for engagement by said cam to individually maintain that plungerlike element inv butt engaging position throughout predetermined intervals of knitting, whereby said instrumentalities having a butt at the level to be engaged by said cam will fail to knit any ornamental pattern and the-remaining needles which do not have a butt to be engaged by said cam will continue to knit patterned fabric in accordance with the selection imposed upon them 

